Michael Swickard's new novel about New Mexico

From KRQE-TV.com - ALBUQUERQUE - Protesters started complaining about the police attention on Facebook. They say police are not being fair. We know occupy protestors are on the radar of albuquerque police. We've seen the arrests and the confrontations. "Spying? I think the police are watching us very carefully," said Erica Estes of the Occupy Albuquerque group. Occupy protesters suspect police are going too far. The group decided their next move with APD in mind. Their last efforts were stalled when the protesters were met at the Coronado Mall by security and police. They did have the meet time posted online. But it was Black Friday and the Occupiers thought they'd blend in with the large crowds. "I would say that they recognized my face, they saw me and they were like, that's one of them," said Estes. Estes says APD appears to be circulating her mug shot and pictures of the protesters. They're not surprised police could be following their moves, but say there's a clear line between simple police work and profiling. Read more

From the Washington Times - In cash-strapped Washington, President Obama’s $1 trillion health care law is presenting a tempting target for lawmakers seeking funds for other projects, as Congress last week raided the health care piggy bank for the third time in less than a year.Congress last week axed a part of Democrats’ signature domestic achievement to find $11 billion to cover the cost of repealing a withholding tax that otherwise would have hit government contractors in 2013. Mr. Obama signed that bill into law on Monday. The withholding bill follows two other efforts — one in December and another in April — that reworked the health care law to squeeze savings for other priorities. The December bill funded higher payments for doctors who treat Medicare patients, and the April legislation repealed a paperwork provision in the original health care law that businesses said would be onerous. All told, Congress and the president have tapped some $50 billion earmarked to pay for benefits and programs in the health care overhaul in future years to fund more-immediate spending needs. Both earlier efforts dealt with health care issues, but the bill Mr. Obama signed Monday marks the first time that the massive 2010 law has been tapped to fund something completely unrelated. Read more

From Rio Grande Digital - Juárez has been named Mexico’s cleanest city by the Azteca Foundation, according to a city news release and various Juárez media reports. Mayor Héctor “Teto” Murguía traveled last week to Mexico City to collect the award given by the philanthropic branch of the TV Azteca national television network. Juárez was chosen for the award based on a number of factors, including its ongoing efforts to keep city streets free of old tires and other debris, a new biogas plant that went into operation this year at the city landfil, its facility for shredding and recycling old tires, its handling of hazardous waste, measurement of various pollutant levels and other things. In selecting Juárez for the award, the foundation documented the projects through videos, photographs, interviews, testimonials and environmental monitoring data. The national campaign is called “Limpiemos Nuestro México,” or “We Clean Up Our Mexico.” Read more

NewsNM: Swickard - I have no problem with the President not mentioning God because I do not believe that he believes. The only problem is for him to act like a non-Christian and keep telling us he is. From the Las Vegas Review Journal blogs - by Sherman Frederick - President Barack Obama delivered his weekly address with a speech entitled: “On Thanksgiving, Grateful for the Men and Women Who Defend Our Country.” In the text of his speech, he referred to Thanksgiving as a "celebration of community." Somebody ought to remind Obama (and his speechwriter) that when Americans sit down around a meal today and give thanks, they give thanks to God. More

Declarations by unelected policy makers that the U.S. will continue to maintain a zero interest rate environment for almost two more years deserves a much higher level of scrutiny. We are told by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke that rates must be kept near zero to “help” a sluggish economy. Let’s employ a smidgeon of common sense here to see how interest rates fit into the overall economic picture.

It is important to realize that an interest rate is essentially a price….a price to borrow money. Borrowers pay the interest rate cost and lenders receive it as a form of rent on their savings. Anyone with a savings account is a lender. Both public and private sector employees who contribute to individual retirement accounts, 401-k’s, or pension plans each month are lenders.

Senior citizens with bank deposits and C.D.’s are lenders. People who own fixed annuities are lenders. Anyone who buys a U.S. savings bond is a lender. Of course, because they hold reserves for lending, banks are also lenders. However, there is an important distinction between banks and savers. Banks are ALSO active borrowers who can find ways to benefit from the flip side of low interest rates.

In a press conference held by Ben Bernanke last week, we were told by our central banker that the Fed will continue with a zero interest rate environment until at least 2013. The reason given for clinging to this radical policy was that it is needed to “support” the struggling economy. Our leaders have already maintained this policy for several years. This raises a serious question. Who does this policy actually support? The answer is pretty simple.

While zero interest rates have not done much to help our economy, it has made life easier for the biggest borrower on the planet. The United States government, with $15 trillion in outstanding debt and a borrowing appetite of $4 billion a day is the biggest beneficiary of Washington policy maker’s efforts to keep the cost of borrowing money at or near zero.

In collaboration with U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Chairman Ben Bernanke is speaking in half-truths at best and outright deceptions at worst, when he cites the “economy” as the primary beneficiary of a zero interest rate policy. In reality, the price-fixing of interest rates is masking the damage being done to our economy by the $4 billion per day borrowing habit of our federal government. And sadly, the damage being done comes in the form of cheating all savers out of a decent rate of return on their reserves. The Fed’s zero interest rate policy is a multi-trillion dollar cost shifting scam that rewards a reckless government and cheats savers.

The definition of financial insanity can best be described as doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. The zero interest rate policy is all part of an insane borrowing addiction in Washington. It has nothing to do with helping a “struggling economy.” It has everything to do with irresponsible leadership. And anyone with sense enough to sacrifice and save so they can fund their post-working years should be taking a very long look at the zero interest rate price fixing going on in Washington D.C. It is nothing more than a financial shell game being perpetrated by con-artists.